TEXAS — Nineteen summer camps have filed a lawsuit challenging a new state requirement to install “end-to-end fiber optic facilities” to operate, arguing the mandate is unconstitutional, violates state law, and could prevent them from opening this summer.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Travis County state district court, names the Texas Department of State Health Services, its commissioner, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, its executive commissioner, and Attorney General Ken Paxton as defendants.
Camps involved include Camp Champions, Camp Longhorn, and Tejas Ministries. They claim the fiber optic requirement does not improve safety, is prohibitively expensive, and may be impossible to meet in rural areas where service is limited. Quotes cited in the suit range from $1 million upfront with $3,500 monthly fees over five years to more than $1.2 million.
The legislation, passed after a July 4 flood last year that killed 25 campers and two counselors at Camp Mystic, also mandates a second type of broadband connection. Lawmakers cited communication difficulties during the flood, when phone lines and cell service were unavailable.
The camps say they serve more than 40,000 children annually. State agencies declined to comment on pending litigation, and attorneys for the camps could not be immediately reached.
